Michael Clayton HD DVD (Tony Gilroy, 2007)

Warner (USA)
2.40:1 1080p
120 minutes
Audio: DD+ 5.1 English, DD+ 5.1 French, DD+ 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: audio commentary by Tony Gilroy and editor John Gilroy; deleted scenes with optional audio commentary by the Gilroys

Released: 11 March 2008
HD DVD case
27 chapters

Tony Gilroy had a fantastic year in 2007 with Michael Clayton and The Bourne Ultimatum. Clayton was his first time in the director’s chair after nearly two decades of paying his dues as a writer, and he was nominated by the Director’s Guild of America as one of 2007’s best directors. He co-wrote yet another chapter in the outstanding Bourne series, which continues to raise the bar for action films. Clayton received seven Oscar nominations (Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay, Score), and Bourne received three Oscar nominations (Editing, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing).

On the surface, Michael Clayton’s subject matter isn’t particularly noteworthy. Clayton (George Clooney) is a NYC lawyer who handles the clean-up jobs for his huge law firm. When his colleague Arthur Eden (Tom Wilkinson) suffers from a shocking mental breakdown in Milwaukee during a deposition (Eden strips naked and runs out into the snow-covered parking lot), Clayton goes to Wisconsin to contain the damage. He discovers that Eden has had a crisis of conscience; instead of merely representing the interests of U/North (an agrichemical company), Eden has been building a case against U/North. U/North’s products have killed hundreds of farmers. When it appears that Eden will bring about U/North’s downfall, U/North’s in-house lawyer Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton) looks for ways to contain Eden and Clayton.

As I wrote, the story seems little different from many other conspiracy thrillers. However, Gilroy’s execution is superb. The movie begins near the end of its journey, with Clayton getting out of his car to admire some horses grazing in a field. Suddenly, his car blows up, and the movie jumps back in time by four days. We already know that Clayton’s car is going to blow up again as the movie catches up to its opening scenes, but the filmmaking is so assured and skillful that, as we watch Clayton’s life being threatened again, the tension is as genuine as the tension generated by a linear-narrative structure.

Although Michael Clayton is singularly focused on its eponymous character’s perspective, the cast is uniformly excellent. Clooney and Wilkinson have several touching and desperate scenes that reveal characters with deep affection and high hopes for one another. Clooney and Swinton have only two face-to-face scenes, but their final confrontation brings a slow-boil film to a burn. The smaller roles have been filled with equally effective actors. In this day and age, Sydney Pollack seems to be a much better performer than he is a director. The men who play Clayton’s brothers are very memorable even though they don’t get much screen time.

Every so often, someone will write an article about great opening shots/sequences. Michael Clayton goes the other way with a great final shot. The movie ends with Clayton leaving a building and getting into a taxi. He requests the driver to drive anywhere for fifty dollars’ worth of a journey. The camera simply gazes upon Clooney’s face for about a minute as he decompresses and digests the ramifications of his actions. Wordlessly, the movie sums up its points in Clooney’s facial expressions and gives viewers time to reflect on what they’ve seen (as opposed to walking out as soon as the credits start).

On Oscar Night (24 February), Tilda Swinton won Best Supporting Actress for Michael Clayton, and The Bourne Ultimatum won all three of its categories.

Video:
As with other recent big-studio fare, Michael Clayton arrives on DVD with a clean video master. The 2.40:1 1080p image leans towards blues and grays, and the filmmakers opted for a cold, damp feel. I didn’t notice any compression artifacts. This is one of those sharp, high-quality transfers that one can usually expect from Warner, but the material doesn’t lend itself to “wowing” viewers.

Audio:
As with the visual scheme, the DD+ 5.1 English track is generally muted and dialogue-driven. There are some decent ambient and directional effects during scenes with heavy NYC auto and pedestrian traffic, but much of the movie features intimate groups of three or four people talking about their predicaments. The similarly low-key score is nicely dispersed throughout the room, and the subwoofer packs tight bass when Clayton’s car explodes.

You can also watch the movie with DD+ 5.1 French and DD+ 5.1 Spanish dubs. Optional English, English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles support the audio.

Extras:
Michael Clayton was a modest box-office performer, which may explain why Warner opted for a modest selection of supplements. However, I’m relieved that this disc isn’t crammed with obnoxious back-slapping commercials masquerading as “making of” documentaries.

Upon loading, the DVD unloads several previews for other movies.

Tony Gilroy and editor John Gilroy contributed an informative, easy-listening audio commentary. The brothers clearly relished this family project (much in the same way that Michael Clayton solicits help from his family), and it’s rather poignant listening to them talk about supporting each other while Tony tried to persuade studios to let him helm his own script. (The audio commentary is subtitled in English, so you can “read” the commentary, too.)

You also get about six minutes of deleted scenes. The most-interesting of these involves actress Jennifer Ehle, who played Michael Clayton’s girlfriend and was completely cut out of the final product. However, you’ll notice that several shots during this scene were used--just without any reference to Clayton having a social life. The deleted scenes are accompanied by optional audio commentaries by the Gilroys. (Once again, the audio commentary has its own subtitles.)

--Miscellaneous--
The SD DVD side of this combo disc has the same reduced technical specs as the widescreen SD DVD (2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen video; DD 5.1 English, DD 2.0 surround English, DD 5.1 French, DD 5.1 Spanish audio; English, English SDH, French, & Spanish subtitles) and the same extras plus previews for other movies.

This HD DVD version streets on 11 March 2008. The high-def editions sport the same technical specs and also have the same extras.

Oscars for 2007

The tally for Tony Gilroy's Michael Clayton and The Bourne Ultimatum:

Tilda Swinton, Best Supporting Actress, Michael Clayton

Best Editing, The Bourne Ultimatum

Best Sound Mixing, The Bourne Ultimatum

Best Sound Editing, The Bourne Ultimatum

No Country for Old Men took home Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor, but Tony Gilroy tied the Coens with four total, too.

Tony Gilroy is going for the win next time around.

Greenaway: The Early Films (Peter Greenaway, 1969-1980)

NTSC, 1.33:1
Approx. 330 minutes
Audio: DD 2.0 mono English
Subtitles: none
Extras: video interviews with Peter Greenaway; Ephemera Galleries

Released: 11 April 2006
two individual keepcases in a cardboard box
105 chapters

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Before he embarked on a career as a major figure in British Art Cinema, Peter Greenaway was a novelist, painter, and film editor at the British Film Institute. He began releasing short films of varying lengths in 1969, and he surpassed the forty-minute mark in 1978 with “A Walk Through H” and “Vertical Features Remake”. After “Vertical Features Remake”, Greenaway made a tremendous leap to the 195-minute running time of The Falls.

Through each of his short films and most-especially The Falls, one can see that Greenaway’s obsessions with geometric shapes, cataloguing, and nature/organisms were well in evidence long before The Draughtsman’s Contract and A Zed and Two Noughts appeared. However, I think it’s equally important to note that Greenaway’s early film career participates in the blurring of documentary and narrative fiction the way that my good friend Christopher Long described in his master’s thesis about Werner Herzog’s
“documentaries”. Just about all of Greenaway’s early works engage in taxonomy and classifications. You’re barraged with long series of facts and figures. This method of presentation is both impressive and banal. After all, at a certain point, information becomes trivial and useless. Yet, there’s no denying the importance of facts as they unify our subjective perspectives.

The Falls is basically a summation of Greenaway’s “documentary” work, though it’s a three-hour compendium of complete fiction. It signals the director’s transition from formalism and “facts, facts, facts” to subtle expressions of themes. Watching the movies presented in this box set allows serious students and enthusiasts to see the evolution of a filmmaker. For example, in “H Is for House”, Greenaway reads off a list of nouns that begin with the letter H. The Falls presents ninety-two case studies of characters whose last names all begin with “Fall-”. Clearly, every finished movie that Greenaway released between 1969 and 1978 found its way into The Falls.

Disc 1: The Shorts (“Intervals”, “Windows”, “Dear Phone”, “H Is for House”, “Water Wrackets”, “A Walk Through H”)

Disc 2: “Vertical Features Remake” and The Falls

Video:
All of the movies appear in their native 1.33:1 aspect ratios. Colors are rather faded, which is to be expected given the movies’ ages. Although they have considerable film damage (scratches, dust, etc.), they also look surprisingly sharp considering their minimal budgets. (As Disc 1 has less than two-hours’ worth of video, I think that Zeitgeist should’ve encoded “Vertical Features Remake” on that disc and let The Falls breathe all available space on its own on Disc 2.)

Audio:
The movies are presented with DD 2.0 mono English audio. Although the audio tracks were probably taken from the best-available elements, they have plenty of pops and cracks that are indicative of film and tape damage. In general, dialogue and voiceovers fare best as music and effects are thin, flat, and harsh. I’m not being critical of this aspect of the DVDs’; rather, there is a great deal of charm in experiencing these movies as if they had been “discovered”.

Extras:
On both discs, Peter Greenaway appears in video interviews, talking about each of his early efforts. You also get four “Ephemera Galleries”--Artworks, Archives, Press Book, and BFI Catalogue. These galleries provide photos and text pages of information and research pertaining to the films.

--Miscellaneous--
Both discs include booklets with film and DVD credits, chapter listings, and essays by Peter Greenaway.

American Gangster HD DVD (Ridley Scott, 2007)

Universal (USA)
1.85:1 1080p
158 minutes
Audio: DD+ 5.1 English, DD+ 5.1 French
Subtitles: Optional English SDH, French
Extras: U Control Picture-in-Picture; audio commentary by Ridley Scott and Steven Zaillian; deleted scenes; The Real Frank Lucas and Richie Roberts; web-enabled features

Released: 19 February 2008
HD DVD case with cardboard slipcover
20 chapters

Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe have had some wild times together. In their first pairing, 1995’s Virtuosity, Crowe was so engaged in one scene that he spat some spittle on Washington’s face. Later, the two went head-to-head in an Oscar Best Actor race. Washington was up for Training Day, and Crowe was up for A Beautiful Mind. It looked like Crowe was going to win (especially since his movie was inspiring while Washington played a villain in a downer). However, Crowe lost his temper and threw a telephone at a hotel employee. This incident probably cost him some votes, so Washington won.

American Gangster was nearly made several times, and at one point, Denzel Washington and Benicio Del Toro were going to play the leads. The script finally caught Ridley Scott’s attention, and ironically, he and Crowe were the ones who helped Washington play the juicy part of Frank Lucas, a black gangster who managed to become more successful at organized crime than the Italians, Irish, and Jews who are usually associated with dirty business. Crowe played Richie Roberts, a cop/lawyer who was a major player in ending Lucas’s operations.

I feel that American Gangster is nowhere near as good as its most-ardent fans claim, but it’s still an excellent movie with enjoyable performances and nuanced character moments courtesy of a rich script. The movie does a fine job of balancing both characters, their work lives, and their family lives. Lucas and Roberts don’t meet until near the end, but their individual strands are plenty interesting without Washington and Crowe butting heads every couple of minutes. However, the final product seems a bit workman-like, lacking in artistic energy that could’ve lifted it to Kingdom of Heaven levels. The movie is a tad long at 158 minutes, and as with so many Ridley Scott productions, the emphasis seems to be on the visuals (costumes, sets, flashy slow motion, etc.) rather than on narrational economy. On the whole, I was engrossed but not excited.

Video:
The 1.85:1 1080p video transfer is a high-quality representation of an intentionally drab-looking movie. Like Munich, American Gangster was designed to look like it was made during the 1960s/1970s in addition to being about that time period. As such, there are some scenes with noticeable grain to impart grittiness, though the grain is never as wildly out of control as with Ocean’s Thirteen. The source master is smooth, sharp, and free of damage/debris.

Audio:
The DD+ 5.1 English track doesn’t rival the best that I’ve heard, but please bear in mind that this is a drama, not an action film. As such, the material simply doesn’t support a continuously active sound mix. Nevertheless, this is an excellent audio track that has subtly immersive surround activity and deep bass presence when necessary. Directionality effects (such as subway trains) are numerous and naturalistic.

You can also watch the movie with a DD+ 5.1 French dub. Optional English SDH and French subtitles support the audio.

Extras:
American Gangster is a top-tier title for Universal, so the HD DVD version is a bit of a disappointment.

The U Control Picture-in-Picture video stream is a compilation of brief on-set footage and talking-heads interviews. What’s shown is great material, but unfortunately, we’re not given a lot of it. (In general, Universal’s PIP video streams have gotten worse over time instead of improving. This is in sharp contrast with Warner and Paramount; Harry Potter 5 and Beowulf both have excellent PIP content.)

You get an audio commentary by Ridley Scott and screenwriter Steven Zaillian. The commentators’ comments are most-interesting during the movie’s first half when both men talk about the production’s troubled pre-production history as well as the real-life events that drew their attention to the project. However, during the second half, the men have less and less substance to offer.

There are a couple of deleted scenes presented in unfinished standard definition.

“The Real Frank Lucas and Richie Roberts” is a brief introduction to the main characters and the actors who play them.

Finally, you can log into Universal’s HD DVD Internet portal for some online content, but you won’t find much related directly to American Gangster.

--Miscellaneous--
The DVD side of this combo disc is rather threadbare. Aside from reduced technical specs (1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen; DD 5.1 English & French audio; English SDH, Spanish, & French subtitles), you also get an extended version (DD 5.1 English only) and the same audio commentary on the HD DVD side.

The DVD side is basically Disc 1 of the two-disc and three-disc SD DVD sets. As with Knocked Up, Universal opted to give the SD DVD editions far more extras than the HD DVD edition.

Michael Clayton (Tony Gilroy, 2007)

Region 1 Warner (USA)
NTSC, 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen
120 minutes
Audio: DD 5.1 English, DD 2.0 surround English, DD 5.1 French, DD 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: audio commentary by Tony Gilroy and editor John Gilroy; deleted scenes with optional audio commentary by the Gilroys; previews for other movies

Released: 19 February 2008
keepcase
27 chapters

Tony Gilroy had a fantastic year in 2007 with Michael Clayton and The Bourne Ultimatum. Clayton was his first time in the director’s chair after nearly two decades of paying his dues as a writer, and he was nominated by the Director’s Guild of America as one of 2007’s best directors. He co-wrote yet another chapter in the outstanding Bourne series, which continues to raise the bar for action films. Clayton received seven Oscar nominations (Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay, Score), and Bourne received three Oscar nominations (Editing, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing).

On the surface, Michael Clayton’s subject matter isn’t particularly noteworthy. Clayton (George Clooney) is a NYC lawyer who handles the clean-up jobs for his huge law firm. When his colleague Arthur Eden (Tom Wilkinson) suffers from a shocking mental breakdown in Milwaukee during a deposition (Eden strips naked and runs out into the snow-covered parking lot), Clayton goes to Wisconsin to contain the damage. He discovers that Eden has had a crisis of conscience; instead of merely representing the interests of U/North (an agrichemical company), Eden has been building a case against U/North. U/North’s products have killed hundreds of farmers. When it appears that Eden will bring about U/North’s downfall, U/North’s in-house lawyer Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton) looks for ways to contain Eden and Clayton.

As I wrote, the story seems little different from many other conspiracy thrillers. However, Gilroy’s execution is superb. The movie begins near the end of its journey, with Clayton getting out of his car to admire some horses grazing in a field. Suddenly, his car blows up, and the movie jumps back in time by four days. We already know that Clayton’s car is going to blow up again as the movie catches up to its opening scenes, but the filmmaking is so assured and skillful that, as we watch Clayton’s life being threatened again, the tension is as genuine as the tension generated by a linear-narrative structure.

Although Michael Clayton is singularly focused on its eponymous character’s perspective, the cast is uniformly excellent. Clooney and Wilkinson have several touching and desperate scenes that reveal characters with deep affection and high hopes for one another. Clooney and Swinton have only two face-to-face scenes, but their final confrontation brings a slow-boil film to a burn. The smaller roles have been filled with equally effective actors. In this day and age, Sydney Pollack seems to be a much better performer than he is a director. The men who play Clayton’s brothers are very memorable even though they don’t get much screen time.

Every so often, someone will write an article about great opening shots/sequences. Michael Clayton goes the other way with a great final shot. The movie ends with Clayton leaving a building and getting into a taxi. He requests the driver to drive anywhere for fifty dollars’ worth of a journey. The camera simply gazes upon Clooney’s face for about a minute as he decompresses and digests the ramifications of his actions. Wordlessly, the movie sums up its points in Clooney’s facial expressions and gives viewers time to reflect on what they’ve seen (as opposed to walking out as soon as the credits start).

I don’t like the Coen Brothers’ movies (No Country for Old Men), I don’t like Paul Thomas Anderson’s movies (There Will Be Blood), I don’t like Juno, and I thought that Atonement needed a bit more massaging in the editing room. On Oscar Night (24 February), I will be in Tony Gilroy’s camp.

Video:
As with other recent big-studio fare, Michael Clayton arrives on DVD with a clean video master. The 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen image leans towards blues and grays, and the filmmakers opted for a cold, damp feel. I didn’t notice any compression artifacts. This is one of those sharp, high-quality transfers that one can usually expect from Warner, but the material doesn’t lend itself to “wowing” viewers.

Audio:
As with the visual scheme, the DD 5.1 English track is generally muted and dialogue-driven. There are some decent ambient and directional effects during scenes with heavy NYC auto and pedestrian traffic, but much of the movie features intimate groups of three or four people talking about their predicaments. The similarly low-key score is nicely dispersed throughout the room, and the subwoofer packs tight bass when Clayton’s car explodes.

The disc includes a DD 2.0 surround English track (recommended for those of you without 5.1 audio set-ups). You can also watch the movie with DD 5.1 French and DD 5.1 Spanish dubs. Optional English, English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles support the audio.

Extras:
Michael Clayton was a modest box-office performer, which may explain why Warner opted for a modest selection of supplements. However, I’m relieved that this disc isn’t crammed with obnoxious back-slapping commercials masquerading as “making of” documentaries.

Upon loading, the DVD unloads several previews for other movies.

Tony Gilroy and editor John Gilroy contributed an informative, easy-listening audio commentary. The brothers clearly relished this family project (much in the same way that Michael Clayton solicits help from his family), and it’s rather poignant listening to them talk about supporting each other while Tony tried to persuade studios to let him helm his own script. (The audio commentary is subtitled in English, so you can “read” the commentary, too.)

You also get about six minutes of deleted scenes. The most-interesting of these involves actress Jennifer Ehle, who played Michael Clayton’s girlfriend and was completely cut out of the final product. However, you’ll notice that several shots during this scene were used--just without any reference to Clayton having a social life. The deleted scenes are accompanied by optional audio commentaries by the Gilroys. (Once again, the audio commentary has its own subtitles.)

--Miscellaneous--
This SD DVD and its Blu-ray counterpart will street on 19 February 2008. The HD DVD version streets on 11 March 2008.

The high-def editions sport the same technical specs (2.40:1 1080p video; DD+ 5.1 English, French, & Spanish audio; English, English SDH, French, & Spanish subtitles) and also have the same extras as the SD DVD (minus the previews for other movies).

Beowulf: Director’s Cut HD DVD (Robert Zemeckis, 2007)

Paramount (USA)
2.35:1 1080p
114 minutes
Audio: DD+ 5.1 English, DD+ 5.1 French, DD+ 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: Beowulf in the Volume (PIP video stream); web-based extras; A Hero’s Journey: The Making of Beowulf (HD); The Journey Continues (HD); Beasts of Burden: Designing the Creatures of Beowulf (HD); The Origins of Beowulf (HD); Creating the Ultimate Beowulf (HD); The Art of Beowulf (HD); A Conversation With Robert Zemeckis (HD); deleted scenes (HD); theatrical trailer (HD); Easter Egg: John Malkovich (HD)

Released: 26 February 2008
HD DVD case
15 chapters

The Beowulf: Director’s Cut HD DVD is yet another comprehensive, two-disc high-def release from Paramount. In addition to excellent picture and sound, you get a rich set of supplements that are all in high-def video. Due to the substantive nature of the extras and the aggressively forward-thinking technology used by the production, this release is quite possibly the best HD DVD yet.

--------------------

Motion-capture computer animation took a huge leap into photorealism with 2001’s Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. The movie’s poor box-office performance caused many to think that this area of computer animation would be laid to rest. Instead, motion-capture animation is used extensively for special effects and stunts that would be too dangerous/costly if performed for real by humans. Effects enthusiasts such as James Cameron and Robert Zemeckis use their clout to build upon the foundation laid by Final Fantasy.

Zemeckis himself made a huge digital leap with 1994’s Forrest Gump. Gump offered scene after scene after scene of Tom Hanks believably inserted into archival footage. Thus, we got Hanks shaking hands with JFK and showing Lyndon Johnson his bare buttocks. Zemeckis and Hanks re-teamed for another huge digital leap with 2004’s Polar Express. 2007’s Beowulf is kind of more-of-the-same as Polar Express. A lot of time was expended upon using video cameras and computers to record human actors acting with wire-frame furniture and props, and a lot of time was expended upon rendering digital-puppet versions of the actors into computer-drawn worlds.

Computer-generated images have come a long way since 2001, but while Beowulf certainly looks far more three-dimensional than Final Fantasy, I’m surprised that overall techniques have not improved in other areas. The “humans” move jerkily, and facial expressions are almost non-existent even though Pixar has shown that expressivity IS possible. Also, everything looks very “plastic” and lacking in heft (i.e. physical weight). Final Fantasy shared the same problems, but believe it or not, they aren’t as visible in Final Fantasy as they are in Beowulf. To be fair, this might be a result of our familiarity with Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright Penn, and Angelina Jolie. (Final Fantasy paired famous voices with designed-from-scratch faces.)

Beowulf is based on old Viking legends, but given the huge sums of money thrown at the motion-capture process, Zemeckis opted for a mindless-action-visual approach rather than one that illuminates the legends’ serious themes. I’m not sure who’s meant to enjoy this movie. It’s too simple-minded and silly to be appreciated by adults, and it’s too violent and “mature” for kids. Teens will laugh at the period settings.

However, home video often has a way of re-inventing the wheel. The extras provide an eye-opening look into one of cinema’s possible futures.

Video:
It’s always difficult evaluating motion-capture animation. Digital sources don’t get damaged the way that film prints can be harmed, but the image looks fake and “plastic” despite the three-dimensional appearance and our familiarity with the famous actors. In a sense, motion-capture animation challenges us to negotiate our responses to reality. Do we sit back and enjoy the pictures for what they are, or do we keep thinking about how un-expressive and constipated Winstone, Hopkins, Wright Penn, and Jolie appear to be?

The 2.35:1 1080p image is flawless, offering vivid colors and great shadow detailing. It’s up to you to decide if you can stand watching 114 minutes of motion-capture animation.

Audio:
Motion-capture animated movies tend to have thunderous sound mixes in order to give the images some “heft”. Beowulf is no different from its brethren. The DD+ 5.1 English track is like something out of the lowest reaches of Hell. The shouting, screaming, roaring, explosions, fireballs, rain, thunder, and clanging metal assault you from every angle. The subwoofer constantly pounds your chest. The overbearing music score doesn’t know when to quit. Dialogue is always intelligible, though just barely. Is this demo material? Certainly. Was it pleasant listening to this movie? Nah...I’m still nursing a headache.

You can also watch the movie with DD+ 5.1 French and DD+ 5.1 Spanish dubs. Optional English, English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles support the audio.

Extras:
--Disc 1--
Beowulf is yet another Paramount HD DVD to feature a PIP video stream. The studio is billing this feature as “Beowulf in the Volume”, a reference to the soundstage that was used for motion-capture shooting. The PIP video stream is comparable to the one found on Warner’s 300 HD DVD. For the length of the movie, you can watch real human actors performing their scenes as well as animatics.

You can also access web-based extras as Paramount posts them on the Internet. As far as I can tell, these extras will be additional featurettes as well as interviews with members of the cast and crew.

--Disc 2--
Disc 2 contains all of the SD DVD’s extras--and more.

“A Hero’s Journey: The Making of Beowulf” is a half-hour examination of the production. This one provides numerous behind-the-scenes footage and comparison shots of motion-capture with final-product scenes. “A Hero’s Journey” is surprisingly substantive and almost devoid of back-slapping self-praise.

The HD DVD version of “A Hero’s Journey” includes an interactive option. Basically, you get a “pop-up” trivia track as well as branching featurettes.

You can watch the branching featurettes by themselves in “The Journey Continues”.

“Beasts of Burden: Designing the Creatures of Beowulf” examines the development of the movie’s monsters.

“The Origins of Beowulf” discusses the story’s roots.

“Creating the Ultimate Beowulf” highlights the intensive work by actor Ray Winstone and computer-effects specialists to mold a memorable protagonist.

“The Art of Beowulf” heaps praise on production designer Doug Chiang, whom Zemeckis admits basically created the movie’s entire look.

“A Conversation With Robert Zemeckis” is a recording of Zemeckis at a Q-and-A session at USC (where he attended college).

A collection of eleven deleted scenes reveals how the movie looked during early animatics stages. (The SD DVD only has six deleted scenes.)

Finally, you get Beowulf’s theatrical trailer and an Easter Egg featuring John Malkovich.

--Miscellaneous--
An insert booklet provides information about accessing the movie’s Internet-based extras.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford HD DVD (Andrew Dominik, 2007)

Warner (USA)
2.40:1 1080p
160 minutes
Audio: DD+ 5.1 English, DD+ 5.1 French, DD+ 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: The Assassination of Jesse James: Death of an Outlaw

Released: 26 February 2008
HD DVD case
37 chapters

Critics and scholars frequently mention the death of the Western, and they have a real point. The genre simply stopped innovating itself, which is why so many contemporary viewers dismiss Westerns as clichéd and boring. After all, if you have any familiarity with the genre, you can basically anticipate every narrative development five minutes into a movie.

The Western IS pretty much dead. It’s not a staple entertainment the way that it was prior to the 1970s. Yet, re-visits by Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven), Kevin Costner (Dances With Wolves, Open Range), Ang Lee (Ride With the Devil), and Jim Jarmusch (Dead Man) have shown that the Western is still a viable playground for filmmakers. If one finds a novel approach and introduces variations on the usual tropes, then a “new” Western can be as fresh and exciting as Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns were to its first viewers.

In 2007, two Westerns with top-tier casts were released--3:10 to Yuma (a re-make) and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. The former found a decent-sized audience but was carried by stars Russell Crowe and Christian Bale rather than by director James Mangold’s interpretation. The latter was a commercial bomb, scaring away viewers with its long title and even longer running time. Yet, Jesse James is the one that will stand the test of time.

Writer-director Andrew Dominik knows that astute audiences are ten steps ahead of the plot when it comes to Westerns, so he sidesteps the issue altogether. The title “spoils” the ending, but there’s much more to the movie than just whether or not one guy will kill another fella. Dominik opts instead to show how America started focusing on taming its Western frontiers after the end of the Civil War.

The Assassination of Jesse James is a beautiful character study. Its deliberate pacing and length reflect the drawn-out death that hard-charging gunslingers faced when American society began maturing. The title isn’t just a “spoiler”; it also functions as an allusion to literary eulogies.

Jesse James (Brad Pitt) and his gang are spent after devoting their lives to making trouble for the Union establishment. One by one, James’s followers return to normal civilian life. Robert Ford (Oscar-nominated Casey Affleck) is old enough to have grown up in awe of the larger-than-life characters that populated the West but too young to realize that he’s too late to the party. He wiggles his way into James’s gang but is frustrated that he’s basically a groupie rather than a mythical figure. Ford’s desire to be (in)famous in order to hide his shortcomings is a commentary on Americans being unable to live up to their own self-created myths.

It’s no surprise that the best of the recent “new” Westerns--Dances With Wolves, Ride With the Devil, and The Assassination of Jesse James--are set during and after the Civil War. After all, the Western is a quintessentially American genre, and the Civil War inaugurated America’s march to modernity. I don’t think that these movies lament the end of an era. Rather, they show why an era had/deserved to end.

Video:
It appears that the 2.40:1 1080p video transfer shares the same edge-enhancement problems as the Blu-ray version. On the surface and from a distance, the image looks like any clean, sharp recent movie. However, close examination reveals halos and jagged lines around objects. Also, the picture has a flatness that doesn’t impart any of the three-dimensional feel that we’ve come to associate with HD DVDs and Blu-ray discs.

Some have speculated that HD DVD’s current max capacity of 30 gigs is to blame since Warner routinely uses the same video and audio encodes for both high-def formats, but this time around, the Blu-ray is a 25-gig single-layer platter. If one format is limiting the other’s potential, then the Blu-ray looks like the culprit (especially considering the movie’s running time).

Audio:
This is a Western, but it’s a contemplative, de-mythifying drama about the end of a sub-culture. Therefore, the DD+ 5.1 English track is understandably low-key. You get a handful of atmospheric and “loud” moments, but mostly, the movie is filled with quiet dialogue scenes. The subwoofer and the rear surrounds provide sturdy ambience without really testing your audio system.

You can also watch the movie with DD+ 5.1 French and DD+ 5.1 Spanish dubs. Optional English, English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles support the audio.

Extras:
“The Assassination of Jesse James: Death of an Outlaw” is a plodding, half-hour re-hash of historical facts sprinkled with mere seconds of behind-the-scenes footage and film clips. This is the kind of “documentary” that makes students fall asleep in junior-high history classes.

--Miscellaneous--
The SD DVD side of this combo disc is identical to the stand-alone widescreen DVD. The DVD specs are 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen video; DD 5.1 English, French & Spanish audio; English, English SDH, French, & Spanish subtitles; and previews for other movies. The SD DVD side does not have the documentary offered by the HD DVD and Blu-ray editions.

A Zed and Two Noughts (Peter Greenaway, 1985)

Region 1 Zeitgeist (USA)
NTSC, 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen
115 minutes
Audio: DD 2.0 surround English
Subtitles: Optional English SDH
Extras: Introduction by Peter Greenaway; audio commentary by Peter Greenaway; ?O, Z00! Excerpts; Decay Sequences; Snail Sketches; original theatrical trailer

Released: 12 February 2008
keepcase
19 chapters

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Already a long-time veteran of motion pictures by 1982, Peter Greenaway established himself as one of the leading members of the British art-cinema movement with The Draughtsman’s Contract. Greenaway’s follow-up feature was A Zed and Two Noughts, aka Z00 (with two zeroes instead of two letter Os). Z00 builds upon the aesthetic foundations laid by Draughtsman’s. Once again, the director mixes the cerebral/intellectual with the carnal. The plot involves twin men losing their wives in the same freak accident. Twinning/doubling provides ample opportunities for Greenaway to create intriguing parallel/symmetrical visual schemes. The twins become obsessed with death and decay, and while their pursuit of the morbid unnerves us, Greenaway touches upon the very nature of a meaningful life--we appreciate our time on Earth because we know that that time is finite.

Z00 is a phenomenal visual treat and a wonderful brain tickler. The title alone provides basis for a week’s discussion.

Video:
Although Z00 looks better than Draughtsman’s, the 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen image has several instances of print damage. The picture is very grainy from beginning to end. Nevertheless, one needs to understand and accept the conditions of the film’s genesis. (I didn’t see the kind of ghosting that was so prevalent on Zeitgeist’s Draughtsman’s DVD.)

Audio:
As with Draughtsman’s, Z00 employs sharp, tense, lively music cues that provide startling support and contrasts to the visuals. The DD 2.0 surround English track reproduces music very well, though there are times when dialogue is a tad weak. The mix is front-biased, but the rear surrounds help spread the music score across a surprisingly wide sound field.

Optional English SDH subtitles support the audio.

Extras:
As with The Draughtsman’s Contract, this release boasts enough extras to be considered worthy of the “Special Edition” moniker even though the elegant cover art isn’t blemished by that marketing phrase.

Director Peter Greenaway contributed a video introduction as well as an audio commentary. Greenaway is obviously the best candidate for dissecting this intricate movie, and even his most-ardent fans will learn something new from his direct personal contributions to this DVD.

There are excerpts from the documentary ?O, Z00! that provide behind-the-scenes glimpses of the shooting production.

There are six “Decay Sequences” that show the complete time-lapse decomposition cycles of various organisms.

Several of Greenaway’s “Snail Sketches” are presented in a stills gallery.

Finally, you get the original theatrical trailer.

--Miscellaneous--
An insert booklet provides essays, chapter listings, and DVD production credits.

The Draughtsman’s Contract (Peter Greenaway, 1982)

Region 1 Zeitgeist (USA)
NTSC, 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen
108 minutes
Audio: DD 2.0 surround English
Subtitles: Optional English SDH
Extras: Introduction by Peter Greenaway; audio commentary by Peter Greenaway; four deleted scenes; interview with Michael Nyman; Restoration Demonstration; stills galleries; original theatrical trailer

Released: 12 February 2008
keepcase
15 chapters

Buy from Amazon.com

Buy from Zeitgeist Films

Peter Greenaway’s The Draughtsman’s Contract is a challenging work, simultaneously cerebral and carnal. An artist enters a contract to create drawings of a nobleman’s estate. His meticulous methodology indicates great discipline and mathematical abilities. However, the price that he demands--sexual favors from the estate’s mistress--suggests a lack of propriety and morality. The character’s polar extremes is reflected in the movie’s other oddities, including living human statues and its progression from a critique of the privileged to a murder mystery. Well, I suppose the murder mystery itself is a critique of the British aristocracy.

Greenaway can be difficult for many viewers, but The Draughtsman’s Contract is a breezy romp that should entertain those who aren’t afraid of being shocked or offended.

Video:
The movie was shot on 16mm film and was then blown-up to 35mm film. You can tell the print’s origins as the 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen (slightly pillarboxed on the left and right sides) image has obvious grain--sometimes heavy grain. Also, colors are a bit faded. However, considering its low budget, the movie looks fairly sharp and detailed. This disc is certainly an improvement upon the previous DVD. (Some ghosting indicates that this transfer may’ve been taken from a PAL source.)

Audio:
The DD 2.0 surround English track is not as dynamic as what one is used to hearing with today’s boomfests, but it capably reproduces the dialogue and Michael Nyman’s music. In fact, the music cues have none of the wobbliness that usually characterizes low-budget affairs. The mix is front-heavy, but too much surround activity in this case would’ve been a distraction.

Optional English SDH subtitles support the audio.

Extras:
This release boasts enough extras to be considered worthy of the “Special Edition” moniker even though the elegant cover art isn’t blemished by that marketing phrase.

Director Peter Greenaway contributed a lengthy video introduction as well as an audio commentary. Both are very informative and fascinating.

Next up are four deleted scenes with some wear-and-tear, but they’re not in bad shape. There are two behind-the-scenes footage reels, one of rehearsals/shooting and one of on-set interviews.

The disc includes an interview with music composer Michael Nyman that was conducted by a critic for The Guardian.

The “Restoration Demonstration” shows the creation of various video masters over the years, with the recent high-def restoration looking at least ten times better than the 1983 videotape release.

You also get two stills galleries.

Finally, you get the original theatrical trailer.

--Miscellaneous--
An insert booklet provides essays, chapter listings, and DVD production credits.

The Brave One HD DVD (Neil Jordan, 2007)

Warner (USA)
2.40:1 1080p
122 minutes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English, DD+ 5.1 English, DD+ 5.1 French, DD+ 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: I Walk the City; additional scenes

Released: 26 February 2008
HD DVD case
31 chapters

In 1976, Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver seared images of Robert DeNiro, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, and a very young Jodie Foster into moviedom’s collective consciousness. In 2007, Neil Jordan’s The Brave One showed that, once and for all, Jodie Foster has stopped caring about her legacy.

For most of her career, Foster carefully cultivated an image of artistic vigor and driven determination. She played characters that were plucky and ambitious without alienating viewers. However, recently, she seems content to cash paychecks for appearing in pandering commercial fare.

Panic Room, Flightplan, Inside Man, and The Brave One have plenty of show-off visual pyrotechnics, but they’re clearly designed as cash machines rather than as artistic statements. With the exception of The Silence of the Lambs, Foster has been a commercial lightweight. I’m not sure what she hopes to accomplish with this trend in her career.

The Brave One begins with some modicum of integrity. After vicious thugs kill her boyfriend and put her in a coma for three weeks, Erica Bain (Foster) tries to regain her grip on life. Erica’s frustration leads her to buy a gun for self-protection. An unintended confrontation sets her on the path towards vigilantism.

The best parts of the movie show Erica and a police detective (played by Terrence Howard) trying to negotiate a criminal justice system that is in serious need of an overhaul. Erica’s accidental start is convincing and plausible. However, the movie quickly falls apart with clumsy voice-over narration, over-the-top acting, maudlin music, and “Hell, yeah!” moments.

The Brave One is too serious and violent to be enjoyed as throwaway entertainment. The movie is too clichéd, crowd-pleasing, and narrative-driven to have any psychological dimensions that expand the story beyond its plot. Jodie Foster and Terrence Howard are excellent as usual, but what’s the point of giving your all to a movie that didn’t really have a purpose for being?

Video:
Despite its gritty subject matter, The Brave One looks very polished, slick, and smooth. The 2.40:1 1080p video transfer doesn’t have the three-dimensional “pop” of the best HD DVDs, but this movie is supposed to be a naturalistic portrayal of reality. Whether the movie succeeds in that regard is a separate issue.

Audio:
Unlike The Invasion on HD DVD (which made-do without a DD+ 5.1 English track), The Brave One has both Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English and DD+ 5.1 English tracks. The movie features a restrained sound mix that favors dialogue and ambience over sonic fireworks. Rest assured that gunshots sound more than convincing, but this is a drama rather than an action movie. The surrounds and the subwoofer provide subtle lifting instead of demanding your attention.

You can also watch the movie with DD+ 5.1 French and DD+ 5.1 Spanish dubs. Optional English, English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles support the audio.

Extras:
The back cover art bills “I Walk the City” as an examination of how The Brave One upends the vigilante genre, but it’s really just an extended commercial for the movie. There are some interviews with members of the cast and crew, but mostly, you just get a lot of film clips.

You also get some additional scenes that total more than ten minutes.

--Miscellaneous--
The DVD side of this combo disc is identical to the stand-alone widescreen DVD. The DVD specs are 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen video; DD 5.1 English, French & Spanish audio; English, English SDH, French, & Spanish subtitles; the extras on the HD DVD side; and previews for other movies.

Beowulf: Director’s Cut (Robert Zemeckis, 2007)

Region 1 Paramount (USA)
NTSC, 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen
114 minutes
Audio: DD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 French, DD 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, French, Spanish
Extras: A Hero’s Journey: The Making of Beowulf; Beasts of Burden: Designing the Creatures of Beowulf; The Origins of Beowulf; Creating the Ultimate Beowulf; The Art of Beowulf; deleted scenes; theatrical trailer; previews for other movies

Released: 26 February 2008
keepcase
15 chapters

Motion-capture computer animation took a huge leap into photorealism with 2001’s Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. The movie’s poor box-office performance caused many to think that this area of computer animation would be laid to rest. Instead, motion-capture animation is used extensively for special effects and stunts that would be too dangerous/costly if performed for real by humans. Effects enthusiasts such as James Cameron and Robert Zemeckis use their clout to build upon the foundation laid by Final Fantasy.

Zemeckis himself made a huge digital leap with 1994’s Forrest Gump. Gump offered scene after scene after scene of Tom Hanks believably inserted into archival footage. Thus, we got Hanks shaking hands with JFK and showing Lyndon Johnson his bare buttocks. Zemeckis and Hanks re-teamed for another huge digital leap with 2004’s Polar Express. 2007’s Beowulf is kind of more-of-the-same as Polar Express. A lot of time was expended upon using video cameras and computers to record human actors acting with wire-frame furniture and props, and a lot of time was expended upon rendering digital-puppet versions of the actors into computer-drawn worlds.

Computer-generated images have come a long way since 2001, but while Beowulf certainly looks far more three-dimensional than Final Fantasy, I’m surprised that overall techniques have not improved in other areas. The “humans” move jerkily, and facial expressions are almost non-existent even though Pixar has shown that expressivity IS possible. Also, everything looks very “plastic” and lacking in heft (i.e. physical weight). Final Fantasy shared the same problems, but believe it or not, they aren’t as visible in Final Fantasy as they are in Beowulf. To be fair, this might be a result of our familiarity with Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright Penn, and Angelina Jolie. (Final Fantasy paired famous voices with designed-from-scratch faces.)

Beowulf is based on old Viking legends, but given the huge sums of money thrown at the motion-capture process, Zemeckis opted for a mindless-action-visual approach rather than one that illuminates the legends’ serious themes. I’m not sure who’s meant to enjoy this movie. It’s too simple-minded and silly to be appreciated by adults, and it’s too violent and “mature” for kids. Teens will laugh at the period settings.

However, home video often has a way of re-inventing the wheel. The extras provide an eye-opening look into one of cinema’s possible futures.

Video:
It’s always difficult evaluating motion-capture animation. Digital sources don’t get damaged the way that film prints can be harmed, but the image looks fake and “plastic” despite the three-dimensional appearance and our familiarity with the famous actors. In a sense, motion-capture animation challenges us to negotiate our responses to reality. Do we sit back and enjoy the pictures for what they are, or do we keep thinking about how un-expressive and constipated Winstone, Hopkins, Wright Penn, and Jolie appear to be?

The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen image is flawless, offering vivid colors and great shadow detailing. It’s up to you to decide if you can stand watching 114 minutes of motion-capture animation.

Audio:
Motion-capture animated movies tend to have thunderous sound mixes in order to give the images some “heft”. Beowulf is no different from its brethren. The DD 5.1 English track is like something out of the lowest reaches of Hell. The shouting, screaming, roaring, explosions, fireballs, rain, thunder, and clanging metal assault you from every angle. The subwoofer constantly pounds your chest. The overbearing music score doesn’t know when to quit. Dialogue is always intelligible, though just barely. Is this demo material? Certainly. Was it pleasant listening to this movie? Nah...I’m still nursing a headache.

You can also watch the movie with DD 5.1 French and DD 5.1 Spanish dubs. Optional English, French, and Spanish subtitles as well as optional English closed captions support the audio.

Extras:
Upon loading, you get trailers for other movies (including the highly-anticipated Iron Man).

“A Hero’s Journey: The Making of Beowulf” is a half-hour examination of the production. This one provides numerous behind-the-scenes footage and comparison shots of motion-capture with final-product scenes. “A Hero’s Journey” is surprisingly substantive and almost devoid of back-slapping self-praise.

“Beasts of Burden: Designing the Creatures of Beowulf” examines the development of the movie’s monsters.

“The Origins of Beowulf” discusses the story’s roots.

“Creating the Ultimate Beowulf” highlights the intensive work by actor Ray Winstone and computer-effects specialists to mold a memorable protagonist.

“The Art of Beowulf” heaps praise on production designer Doug Chiang, whom Zemeckis admits basically created the movie’s entire look.

A collection of six deleted scenes reveals how the movie looked during early animatics stages.

Finally, you get Beowulf’s theatrical trailer.

--Miscellaneous--
This SD DVD and its HD DVD counterpart will street on 26 February 2008. The HD DVD has high-def tech specs (2.35:1 1080p video; DD+ 5.1 English, DD+ 5.1 French, DD+ 5.1 Spanish; English, French, & Spanish subtitles). The HD DVD is a two-disc set. Disc 1 has a PIP video stream and web-enabled extras. Disc 2 has the extras on the SD DVD--plus more--in high-def video.

The Invasion HD DVD (Oliver Hirschbiegel, 2007)

Warner (USA)
1.85:1 1080p
99 minutes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English, DD+ 5.1 French, DD+ 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, French, Spanish
Extras: We’ve Been Snatched Before: Invasion in Media History (HD); The Invasion: The Story (HD); The Invasion: On the Set (HD); The Invasion: Snatched (HD)

Released: 19 February 2008
HD DVD case
27 chapters

Like Nicolas Cage, Nicole Kidman has tried to parlay an Oscar to big paychecks and box-office stardom. Un-like Cage, Kidman has been met with box-office indifference. As bad as many of Cage’s recent movies are, he is still a box-office draw. However, Kidman is box-office poison.

2007’s The Invasion is yet another mis-fire headlined by Kidman. Kidman’s surrounded by great actors like Daniel Craig, Jeremy Northam, and Jeffrey Wright. Aside from a chance to work with director Oliver Hirschbiegel (who helmed Die Untergang, aka Downfall), I don’t know what about this project could’ve attracted the cast’s attention. Rumors of creative differences, script tinkering, and extensive re-edits filtered into the public, but we’ve seen problematic shoots turn into great movies, right?

As with so many re-makes these days, The Invasion amps the action at the expense of genuine character-driven drama and believability. Kidman looks implausible as an action hero, especially when running gingerly in high heels. There are many loud noises and car crashes during the second half, but they’re not exciting even in a visceral way.

Craig and Wright are wasted as doctors standing around mumbling technobabble. Northam doesn’t do much except smile blandly. The possessed people walk/run in groups like any anonymous mass in zombie movies.

Unlike the previous film adaptations of Jack Finney’s novel The Body Snatchers, this one doesn’t attempt to generate any allegory or meaning beyond its confines. Therefore, the heroes appear to be so one-dimensional and lacking in intelligence that the infected “pod” people seem reasonable in comparison. (Global peace is indicated on the news when world leaders begin solving problems rather than continuing to fight.) Besides, for a movie about the dangers of conformity, The Invasion doesn’t make its point forcefully. Kidman and the supporting men look as conventionally fashionable as what we see in glossy magazines these days, so in its own way, the movie conforms, too.

The people who run the Hollywood major studios often claim that they’re the only ones with the resources to create movies with exceptional production values and exciting products. However, The Invasion is one of many examples of how even high-budget, high-profile flicks can be as bad as (and with none of the charm of) home videos shot by five-year-olds.

Video:
The 1.85:1 1080p is clean and smooth as one would expect of a recent movie. However, the filmmakers’ opted for a cold, flat, sterile look that is rather drab and sometimes hard on the eyes. Harsh lighting choices don’t yield compression problems, but they limit the image’s sharpness and clarity in some scenes. Still, one has to admit that the resolution of high-def video yields an incredible amount of detail and clarity that, while incapable of improving a movie’s intrinsic merits, nevertheless eases one’s re-exposure to even The Invasion.

Audio:
Once again, the HD DVD improves upon the SD DVD. The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English track sounds tighter, fuller, and richer in just about every way when compared to the SD DVD’s plain-vanilla DD 5.1 English track. The mix has a lot of discrete surround effects, though most of them are subtle during the first half. The second half is filled with deep bass and great stereo separation across the front, though the rears pale in comparison (they do mostly music lifting). Oddly, Warner has not provided a DD+ 5.1 English track, though one English track is all that you need.

You can also watch the movie with DD+ 5.1 French and DD+ 5.1 Spanish dubs. Optional English, French, and Spanish subtitles support the audio.

Extras:
All of the extras are in high-def video.

“We’ve Been Snatched Before: Invasion in Media History” briefly touches upon the other movie adaptations. This is a very superficial documentary that doesn’t really show why some of the adaptations are better than the others.

“The Invasion: The Story”, “The Invasion: On the Set”, and “The Invasion: Snatched” are extremely slight puff pieces that don’t mention any of the problems that this troubled production encountered.

--Miscellaneous--
The DVD side of this combo disc is identical to the stand-alone widescreen DVD (reviewed here).

This HD DVD/DVD combo will street on 19 February. The SD DVD and Blu-ray counterparts streeted on 29 January 2008.

The Blu-ray and the HD DVD share the same tech specs (though the Blu-ray also has a DD 5.1 English track), and the extras are the same as the SD DVD in high-def but minus the previews for other movies.